Inlaws & Outlaws
by ryans daughter
Summary: When one of their family goes missing a family secret is discovered by Linda and Danny. Events that take place afterwards place Danny in danger
1. Chapter 1

This story is a bit longer than my last two so hope you will stay with it and please review. As always I do not own any of the characters just borrowed them for a while

No money made from this. Hope you enjoy.

INLAWS & OUTLAWS

Danny kissed Linda on the cheek as he headed to the car. She was standing at the mail box collecting the mail. "Any bills leave them there!" Danny joked, as he turned to get into the car. "No bills," Linda said, holding an envelope in her hand. Danny could tell by the sad expression that was forming on Linda's face that the letter was of some concern to her.

He closed the car door and headed over the grass verge to where Linda was still standing. "You ok babe?" Danny enquired, taking hold of her arm. Linda tried to smile. "Yeah I'm fine," she lied. "What's the letter babe, something wrong?"

Linda gave a small mock laugh. "No it's just a birthday card I sent to my mom been returned." Danny offers Linda a hug. "I'm sorry babe, do you want me to go in a bit later, I'll come back inside for a while if you want?"

Linda is grateful for Danny's concern, she knows he feels responsible for Linda's mom returning the card and she doesn't want him going to work carrying any worries that may distract his day. "Listen to me Danny I'm fine ok. I don't want you worrying about me, just come home safe to me promise?"

Danny hugs Linda tight "I love you babe you know that don't you, how about I get Dad to have the boys for dinner and meet me after my shift. I'll treat you to Chinese?" Linda knows Danny is cut up about her mother not speaking to her because she married Danny and she is touched by his concern. "That would be fabulous but Danny, I would never trade you for anyone ok, I'm fine." This makes Danny feel better but he still wishes Linda had the close family unit he has always taken for granted. "See you at six don't be late." He waves as she blows him a kiss and with that Danny is gone.

Danny rings his Dad when he gets into work and asks if he can have the boy's for dinner. Frank is delighted to have his two grandsons over but is curious as to why Linda would allow them to come over on a school night. "Yeah son, that's fine. Pops will collect them from school, he will be thrilled. But is there a problem, just Linda normally likes them in their routine on a school night?" Frank presses. "No Dad, there is no problem, I really just want to spend some quality time with Linda."

Danny can feel the worry rising in Frank's voice. "You two having any kind of trouble?" Frank asks hesitantly. "No Dad." Danny laughs at how Frank assumes he has done something wrong. "Its just she feels a bit low today. She got a card back _'Return to Sender' _that she sent her mom for her birthday so you know….."

Danny hears a heavy sigh down the phone line. "God damn that woman!" Frank scowls. "She should be grateful for every day she has got a daughter as wonderful as Linda. I could shake her when I think what she is missing out on." Before Frank could get into full voice Danny cut him short. "I know Dad, but I got to go so I can finish early, so are you ok to have the boys?" "Yeah let the stay overnight. Pops will take them in to school tomorrow, drop off their clothes on your way out. We will have a midweek boys night, I'll ring Jamie & invite him over." "Thanks Dad. I got to go, see you later." Danny hangs up and rings Linda to let her know the new arrangements and is glad of the excuse to check how she is doing.

When Danny called, Linda was sitting in the lounge looking at old photographs from when she was young. She always missed not seeing her family but days like today magnified the situation.

Linda had been cut out of her mother's life since she got engaged to Danny. Her mother had wanted her to marry a respectable insurance clerk called Alan, who lived across the street from Linda and whose mother attended the same church as Linda's family. Linda had been on a few dates with Alan but had never been that keen on him. He was a bit mean and never wanted to go anywhere too expensive on a date and he always made a point of telling Linda what a catch she had in him. While Linda felt she was dating him out of politeness and pity, rather that feeling lucky to be Alan's date. She also knew he had a temper and had saw this first hand when she told him she thought it best if they just stay friends after he tried to take their courtship a bit further than she was willing to.

After that night Linda, tried to avoid Alan and made excuses not to be around his family. That was how she came to be in the bar on the night she had met Danny. She had gone with a friend to avoid a night at home with hers and Alan's family and that was when her life changed forever, from that moment she saw that smile she knew Danny was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and to this day, despite everything that they had been through, that feeling had never left her.

Though her mother made it clear she didn't approve of Linda dating a then rookie police officer, Linda's dad was more open minded and liked Danny. Even though he wasn't allowed in the house, her father would always talk about baseball on the phone when Danny rang, ask about his work and try to take an interest in the man his daughter so obviously adored. When Linda told her father she was to marry Danny, it was the first time she had ever saw her dad cry. Her mother made no effort and let Danny's family know Linda was too good for their son and though Mary, Danny's mother, was far too much a lady to argue with Linda's mother, she, like Frank, held her in total contempt for the way she treated their son and her own daughter.

John though was different. A kind loving man who adored Linda and for the first time in his married life, stood up to his wife and insisted that they went to the wedding. He walked his beloved daughter down the aisle with tears in his eyes. Linda spoke to her dad on the phone and visited, but as he got older, he got too weak to fight his wife and Linda knew it was better to stay away than visit and cause upset.

So Linda made a choice. She decided Danny was worth losing her bitter mother for and she vowed to make sure her family would only ever know love when she became a mother. So that is what she did, she had Danny's family to love her and in return, she loved them. Her boys were her world, she adored them and lavished them with all the love she missed out on from her own cold mother. Then there was Danny, he was her rock, the person who could tell just by looking at her, what her heart was thinking. She loved Danny more than life itself, she could feel her breath catching sometimes just when he entered the room.

Linda was broken from her thoughts by the sound of the telephone. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Danny's voice at the other end. "Hey babe change of plan. The boys are staying out tonight so you can relax this afternoon and we will go out about eight for dinner. How does that sound Mrs Reagan?" "Perfect," Linda giggled down the phone, "See you later and Danny…. Thanks." Danny blew a kiss down the phone before hanging up.

Danny and Linda enjoyed a lovely evening together almost like a date before they were married. Danny was relaxed and full of fun and Linda enjoyed seeing her husband having such a good time for the first time in a long time. They enjoyed a lovely bottle of wine and spent time talking. When they got home Linda felt guilty that the boys were not there as she missed them but she enjoyed having the house to themselves for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story I hope you enjoy this chapter

Its means the world to me when you take the trouble to leave a review so thank you and enjoy

As always unfortunately I do not own Danny but have just borrowed him for this story and will give him and all the other characters back

Chapter 2

Even though they had a lovely time enjoying a house with no kids, Danny and Linda couldn't wait to see the boys the next day. Danny even made the effort to finish work early and go to pick them up from school. Sean came running out first and was delighted to see his Daddy, he was holding a bag of candy and told Danny the bus driver had given him and Jack sweets because they don't get the school bus so miss out when the other kids get sweets of him. Danny told Sean that was kind of the man but not to eat them all as they would spoil his dinner. Over dinner Linda fussed around the boys, glad to have them back. She had missed them so much even though they had only been gone one night.

Jack seeing his parents in such a good mood, thought this would be the perfect time to bring up the subject of the cell phone he had been trying to get his dad to get him for over a month now. Danny had told Jack he could have a phone when he was eleven but that was another year away and Jack was desperate to have a phone now so he could be like his cousin Nicky.

Seizing his opportunity, he decided if he harasses Danny long enough eventually he will give in and buy the phone just to get some peace but his plan doesn't quite work out as Danny tells him "Jack, you can harp on about the damn phone as much as you want but I aint paying for you to have a cell phone and run up bills buying ring tones, because you don't have any one to call as none of your friends even have cell phones so do yourself a favour kid and don't ask me again for any phone ok?" Danny turns to walk away then looks back at Jack and informs him "And before you think about trying it on with your mom it was her who said you couldn't have the phone so sorry kiddo but you will be wasting your time!"

Danny cannot help but laugh to himself as he hears Jack muttering under his breath as Danny walks away from the table and he remembers when he was a kid arguing with his own dad thinking his world would end if he didn't get the must have gadget back in the day.

Linda was in the kitchen washing up and though she smiled when Danny told her about the phone, she can't hide the look of concern from Danny. "What's up babe, got something on your mind?" he asks her. Linda closes the kitchen door over and says in a hushed tone "I'm not sure, it's just when I asked Sean who the candy was from, he said the bus driver gave them to him." Danny nods. "Yeah I know, he told me that too, what's the problem?" Linda shakes her head. "I don't know if there is, its just Sean and Jack would never see the driver, he parks in a different car park to me so why would he know who they were and why give them sweets?" "Jack told me the driver sometimes talks to them during play, it just seems a bit creepy. It might be perfectly innocent but you know what I'm saying…."

Danny nods his head slowly, the worried look from Linda's face now transferred to his. "I'll pick the boys up tomorrow and speak to the teacher. We can't go pulling files on this guy if it turns out he was just being nice to the boys but on the other hand we can't take any chances," Danny tells Linda.

After Danny has read the boys a story and tucked them up in bed, he heads down the stairs hoping Linda has poured them both a nice glass of wine but instead he finds her sitting at the computer. "What are you doing honey?" he asks. "I'm just checking to see what details you have to give the authorities to drive the school bus or work at the boy's school," Linda tells Danny, as he stands behind her checking the screen. "It says here they check for criminal records and full references are required so that guy must be ok?"

Linda looks more relaxed at finding out this information but Danny isn't as comforted by the news.

Yeah but what if he just hasn't been caught, doesn't mean he hasn't or would do anything just means he is clever."

The next morning while Jack is getting ready for school, he tells Danny he has soccer practise and could Danny collect him at 17.30 when practise had finished. Danny, still worrying about the bus driver assures Jack he will be there and tells him to wait inside the school building for him rather than on the street in case it rains, trying his best not to alarm his son but wanting to make sure he isn't alone near the school.

After seeing Linda and the boys off, Danny heads into work and due to his caseload on his desk he doesn't have much time to think about the bus driver for the rest of the day but he does make sure he finishes work early and is at the school at 17.00 hours just in case Jack finishes practise early, in case the driver was hanging around.

Danny parks the car over the road from the school and walks to the gates, the main gate is locked so he heads around to the side gate near to the sports field figuring that would be the one left open when soccer practise was taking place. As Danny approaches the gate his heart nearly stops when that gate too is locked. He runs around to the other side of the building, pulling on the locked gate and shouting for someone to let him in. Through the fence he can see the training field that Jack was practising on and to his horror the field is empty.

Fear grips him as he grabs his phone and he trys to regulate his breathing so he will be able to speak, as his punches in Linda's number hoping and praying when she answers, Jack is safe at home with her and Sean.

"Babe it's me look, Jack isn't at the school, it's all locked up…." Danny feels his throat go dry as he hears Linda become hysterical on the other end of the line. "Look, ring his friends see if they finished practise early and he went home with them. I will ring Jamie and Erin." Danny hangs up and rings Jamie who is on his beat. Danny tells him to put a call out to start looking for Jack. He then phones Erin to see if Nicky might have some idea where Jack could be. Next he has to ring his Dad and tell him Jack is missing.

Frank insists that Danny come back to the precinct, fearing Danny was capable of anything after hearing what he had told him about the bus driver. Linda called all Jacks friends but he wasn't with any of them. By now Erin had come over, she was trying to offer comfort but this was every parent's worst nightmare and as time ticked by to 18.00 hours Linda grew more hysterical.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the delay in putting this chapter on will try and put next chapter on soon to make up

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed or put this story on the alert you are all so kind.

Hope you continue to enjoy.

CHAPTER 3

Nicky who was trying to keep Sean occupied decided to play detective herself and see if Jack had told Sean anything that could give them a clue to were her cousin could be.

Meanwhile at the station, Danny had to be nearly super glued to the chair when Jamie brought in the file for the bus driver that he had obtained through City Hall. It gave his job details and the address of the depot were he should be booking his bus back in.

Danny was ready to head straight over there but Frank refused to let Danny have anything to do with speaking to the driver. He told him "This is not yet a police investigation and till such times you will obey me Danny, go home, see your wife and wait to see if Jack turns up." As Danny tried to protest, Frank escorted him out of the office and walked with him to his car. "Son I know what you are going through but you can't be here, the best people are out looking for Jack, Linda needs you, go home son, I'll call you the minute I know anything, you know that don't you?"

Danny got in his car and drove around the parks and playground in the area, speaking to Linda on his cell the whole time. After about thirty minutes Erin rang Danny back and said Linda was really struggling to keep it together and she thought it best that Danny be with her so Danny headed home to try to offer his wife support.

As he walked into the house Linda totally broke down as if she'd held it in until she saw Danny and then she knew it was real. "Oh God Danny where is he, where is our baby?" Danny couldn't bear to see Linda in this state and broke down too. They just clung to one another, sobs breaking the otherwise silent house.

Henry, never one to take notice of his son, had been out since he was told Jack had gone missing. He had tried the parks and arcades and all the places he could think of that he had taken Jack and Sean but he hit a blank on all of them. He couldn't bear to be in the house alone with his thoughts of what could have happened to Jack so he decided to head over to his grandson's house and see what use he could be to him.

Henry had always loved Danny his grandson, not more than his other grandchildren but he had always seemed to spend more time with Danny who was very much cut from the same cloth as Henry. Upon entering Danny's house from the back door, his heart was broken by the sight he met. Danny was sitting at the kitchen table. He looked like he had aged twenty years in two hours.

As Henry stepped through the door, Danny rose from his seat and hugged his grandfather, causing both men to break down. "Come on now Danny, you have got to hold it together for Linda and Sean. Think Danny, what has he been doing the last week, has he got a new friend at school, has he been on that face text thing?"

Danny forced a small smile. "Its Face book pops and no, he isn't allowed on it. He has been busting my chops to let him have a cell phone, only yesterday he was pestering me to get him one, Jesus Pops, if I had got him one we wouldn't be sitting here now. I could have rang him & found out where he was. I swear, when we get him back I'll get him two of the damn things in case he loses one!" Danny's voice breaks. "Pops, what am I gonna do if this doesn't turn out right?"

Henry placed an arm on Danny. "Come on son, he's coming back, he has got to!" The telephone stopped them all from speaking any further and Linda rushed to Danny's side as he answered his cell phone. "Its Jamie," he told them. "Yeah kid, what is it?"

"Danny, can you and Linda come down to the station?" Danny had to hold onto the table to keep himself from falling over. "Why kid, what's up?"

Jamie advised Danny they hadn't located Jack but the bus driver was making a statement and Jamie wanted them down at the station to see if they could piece together what the driver had told them, with any other bits of information. "It's just routine. Tell Linda we are looking for Jack. Every officer in the city is out there."

Danny hung up and told Linda they needed to go to the station to help check statements. Erin and Henry stayed with Sean and Nicky as Danny helped Linda into the car and drove to the station.

When they got there, Frank was waiting for them. He wouldn't let Danny into the interview room, making him sit in the relative's room. He told Linda it was just routine, but speaking to Jackie, he made it clear he wanted Danny nowhere near the driver. "God forbid Jackie, but if this does turn into an enquiry I don't want to have to let this guy walk because Danny has half killed him, do you get what I am saying?"

Jackie nodded her head. She too was worried how Danny would cope with the situation he now found himself in. He was always used to being at the hub of an enquiry and now he was being forced to sit in a room and leave finding his precious son to the rest of the force. This was going to be tough for Danny to take, probably unbearable.

Frank was called away from his discussion with Jackie by another office who had gone to take a statement from the bus driver. "Sir," the officer addressed Frank, "The driver…he is asking for you, he knew you were Jacks grandfather and is asking to speak to you personally. He also asked how Jacks parents are."

Franks heart sank as he was told this information. This put a whole new slant on things. Was this guy out to get back at Frank? Had he taken Jack to hurt Frank or Danny? Was this a vendetta for a case they had worked on in the past?

As Frank headed for the interview room, he instructed the officer to keep this information from anyone, especially Danny and Linda. "I want this information to remain confidential until I have spoken to the guy, do you understand?" The officer nodded. "Yes Sir."

Frank opened the door to the room and felt his heart was echoing around the four walls, it felt to be beating that loud.

The bus driver was sitting at the interview table, his head in his hands. He looked up as Frank began to walk into the room. "Frank…" the driver said, his voice trembling.

Frank looked at the man, trying not to let the horror he felt inside show on this face. "You asked to speak to me, what for, its not usual in a case of a missing child for a potential witness to speak to the Police Commissioner, so what is it that you want?"

"Frank, don't you remember me?" Frank was beginning to get more agitated now and started to fear for Jacks safety. "Look, I don't know you, what is it you want? His voice was starting to show his nerves. "Frank, it's me John…" the driver said. "John Simpson."

Frank couldn't believe what he had just heard. "John as in Linda's…?"

Frank takes a seat opposite John and tries to process the information he has just received. John continues. "I'm so sorry Frank, I didn't mean to cause any bother." Frank, now with his emotions more in check, continues. "John, what are you doing driving buses, what's going on, I don't understand?"

"It was the only way I could think of to see my daughter and grandchildren, after Linda stopped bringing the boys over when they were younger." Frank puts down his glasses on the table and rubs his eyes while Linda's father continues. "I took the job with the bus company at the boys school, as I thought at least this way I get to see them, even if they don't know who I am. I get to see them play sport, see them in their Christmas plays and stuff. Things you probably take for granted as a grandfather. This was stuff I would have missed out on and I just couldn't do that. I had to see them grow up, even if they think I'm just the bus guy who gives them candy once in a while."

Frank is touched to see the lengths John went to for his grandchildren but before he can say anything in reply, John breaks down. "But now Jack is missing and while you guys could have been out looking for him, you have been wasting time on me and now he could be anywhere with anyone and I'll never forgive myself, if my selfishness to see them has put my own grandson in danger."

Frank stands up from the table and offers John his hand. "John, if the shoe were on the other foot I would have done the same. I have been blessed to see them grow up and I can understand why you wanted to share in that too. But I am going to have to tell Linda and Danny who you are. Jack is still missing and we need to let them know you are not part of the investigation and then concentrate on other leads to find him and bring him home safe."

Frank heads to the relatives room, not sure what to say to break the news to Linda. As he steps inside his face is enough to fill Danny and Linda with fear. "Oh my God, Frank, no please…." Linda screams. Danny, fearing his worst nightmare has come true, can no longer hold his emotion in and is physically sick in the bin next to his chair. "Danny, Linda no…." Frank tries to calm them. "We haven't got any more news on Jack," he tries to make himself heard over the sobs of Linda. "It's the bus driver Linda, he is your father."

Linda cannot process what's being said to her and looks at Danny. "It's John?" Danny says, relief filling him, that Jack had not been snatched by some monster. "But what is he doing at the kids school?"

Frank talks Linda and Danny through what John had just told him and how John needed to still be able to see the boys and both Linda and Danny are touched at the lengths he has gone to, all these years to stay in contact. Linda asks Frank to take her to her dad as Danny goes to get a glass of water and clean himself up after being sick.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to everyone who reviewed this, sorry for the delay in updating due to family commitments I haven't been able to update. Hope you are still enjoying and please review if you can. As always I do not own Blue Bloods and no money made. Please enjoy.

CHAPTER FOUR

As Danny is changing his shirt he begins to panic again. If the driver didn't have Jack who did and is this worse than the thought John had taken him? Danny heads to his desk where Jackie is sifting through statements from John and Jacks Principle, who had come down to the station to try and help find Jack after receiving a phone call from Jamie at home advising what had happened to Jack.

Danny picks up a list of Jack's friends and starts ringing their moms to see if any of them could give a clue as to where Jack might be.

After about 15 minutes of getting nowhere with the phone calls, Danny's cell phone rings and Nicky's number shows on the screen. "Hey Nicks, what's up?" Danny asks hoping Sean was ok. "Uncle Danny, I know it's wrong to read other peoples diaries but I found Jacks, so I ….." Danny not caring about personal privacy butts in. "So what did you find Nick, anything?" Nicky continues. "Last night he wrote he was going to trick you into picking him up late today, so you would be worried and then buy him a cell phone so you could keep in contact with him in the future."

Danny tells Nicky to get her Mom to bring her and the diary down to the station right away. Without thanking Nicky for her detective work, Danny hangs up and heads to find Linda to tell her the latest development.

Linda is sitting in the interview room, her father comforting her when Danny walks in. "Hi John," he says, offering John his hand to shake. John stands up and shakes Danny's hand. "I'm sorry it's in these circumstances that we are meeting," John adds. "Well find him," Danny says firmly.

"Linda, Nicky has just rang. She has been going through some diary Jack was keeping and he wrote he was going to make me late to pick him up today so I'd be worried and then buy him a cell phone, he planned this all along."

Linda feels some relief that he might not have just been snatched off the street, but Danny went on. "But even if he had meant to scare me, that was four hours ago. Where the hell has he gone for that long?"

As fear begins to fill both Danny and Linda once more, Jamie knocks on the door and walks in without waiting for a reply. "Guys, 911 have just taken a call from down town, some kid in a call box. Danny come with me, they want you to listen to the replay of the call."

Danny and Jamie race to the operations room and the operator replays the call that came in five minutes earlier. A young boy crying, saying he is lost. He tells them his Dad works at the station. "Can you ask him to come and pick me up please?"

They hear the voice say "My Dads name is Danny Reagan, he is going to kill me," the frightened voice whimpers. Danny hugs Jamie, tears streaming down his face.

"Where was this call made from, do you know?" he asks the operator. The supervisor comes over and tells Danny, "We have got a patrol car heading to the phone box right now, Danny come with me."

At the other end of the room, CCTV coverage shows Jack standing in the phone box, looking like a frightened rabbit staring into the headlights. "How the hell did he manage to get down town on his own?" Danny asks Jamie, both now with tears streaming down their faces. "I don't know or care," Jamie try's to laugh. "I will go and bring Linda in, let her see he is ok."

Jamie hugs Danny one more time as if to check it's real before rushing out to get Linda.

Linda comes rushing into the room and hugs Danny. "Thank God he's safe," Danny tells Linda, as they watch the patrol car arrive and help Jack into the back seat.

Linda, Jamie and Frank head to Franks office to wait for Jack to return. Erin, Henry, Nicky and Sean all making their way over to meet Jack when he arrives back at the station.

Danny heads to his desk and is meet by Jackie who hugs Danny, before allowing a few tears of her own to fall, that she had kept hidden while the case was live. "Thanks Jackie, for all your help today." Jackie gives Danny a kiss on the cheek then orders him "Go, let me have a cry in peace…."

Danny laughs as he heads up to Franks office. He punches the lift for the top floor but as the doors open he heads back down the corridor to the waiting area. John, his father in law, had been told by an officer that Jack had been found and he was heading home when Danny called him back. "Hey John, where you going?"

Danny took hold of John by the arm. "You are coming with me and you can meet your grandkids properly. No hiding behind school buses anymore, you want to see your grandkids, your welcome any time in our house, you got that?"

John hugs Danny and heads back up to Franks office, Linda kissing her father on the cheek and hugging him to her as he walks into the room.

Nicky is standing next to Henry as Danny walks over to give his grandfather a hug and as Danny moves away from Henry, he grabs Nicky to him and says "Well done Nicks, you were the best detective in the room today kiddo," as he hugs her to him. "You really did do a fantastic job on this one Nicky," Danny tells her, as she blushes and gives her Uncle a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Uncle Danny, just glad we got him back safe." "That's right kid but let today be a lesson to all you kids. Come here Sean."

Danny gestures to Sean to come over to him. He kneels down so he is at eye level with Sean and talks directly to him and Nicky.

"Now you guys, don't ever forget what you saw me and everyone else in this room go through today, when we thought something had happened to Jack and promise me now, both of you, that you will never do anything like this, no matter how scared you are. If you have a problem, you come to one of us and we will sort it out. And you ever think of pulling a stunt like Jack has just done because you can't get your own way about something, or you want to get your own back at me or your mom because we make you do something you don't want to do, then just remember what happened today. Jack could have been taken by anyone when he pulled this stunt. So you promise me, you wont ever, ever put me or your mom through anything like this again, you got that?"

Sean and Nicky both nod at Danny just as the door opens and Jack stands there, between two officers. Linda jumps up and runs to him, grabbing him and holding him. They both cry into each others arms. "Mom I am sorry, I didn't mean to do this. I got lost and couldn't get back and then it was late and ….."

Before Jack can finish his sentence his worst nightmare looks set to start, as Danny is standing in front of him.

"Dad…" Jack whimpers. Danny pulls Jack to him and cannot stop the tears wellling up in his eyes. "You ever pull anything like this again Jack and I swear…." Danny cannot finish his sentence as Linda and Sean circle Jack. "I promise you, I will never do anything like this again," Jack assures his dad.

Linda is too happy to have Jack back to be mad at him, but Danny wants to make Jack realise what he has done. Taking him to one side he says, "Do you really understand Jack, what could have happened to you out there today. Anyone could have got you, then what would me, your Mom and Sean have done?" Jack nods. " Now give me a hug cause I need one more than ever," Danny tells Jack. "I love you Dad, I'm so sorry," Jack says. " I love you too son, more than you will ever believe, but you are now grounded for the next two weeks kiddo…."

Jack and Danny both smile. " Wow, I figured I would be eighteen before you ever let me out again!"

Danny laughs as he hugs Jack to him and nods over to John his father in law. "Hey kids, remember how you sometimes ask why you never get to see your mom's family. Well guess what, today you can see your Moms father. He has come to see you."

John steps forward as the whole room turns to look at him. "You're the bus man," Jack says, not wanting to leave his Daddy's side. "That's right Jack," Danny reassures him. Your grandfather works at your school and now you all know who one another are, so you will be to see a lot more of each other won't you?"

Danny nudges Jack forward to say hello to his Grandfather properly. Sean moves first. " Have you got any candy?" Linda pulls Sean away telling him no to be so rude, but John laughs.

"Got none today, but how about I call over at the weekend, if that's if it's ok…?"

"That would be great," Danny tells him. "Well, its getting late, we really must be heading back." John once again hugs Linda and says his final farewells before heading home to tell his wife where he has been.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for reading and reviewing or if you have just read hope you are enjoying the story.

This chapter is a bit longer its one of my favourites hope you enjoy. Still don't own Danny or any of the characters and no money made from this. Here goes!

CHAPTER FIVE

The boys can't wait for the weekend to arrive so they can see their Grandpa John and hope he brings them lots of presents. Although Jack is still grounded, Danny has told him as this is a special occasion he can go out with his Grandfather. The boys sit looking out of the window waiting for the car to pull up, trying to guess what gifts their Grandfather will bring them, talking in hushed voices so Danny and Linda don't overhear and extend the length of time Jack is grounded and add Sean to the list.

After what seems like an eternity, a dark car pulls up outside the house. Jack shouts to advise his mom their visitor has arrived and Danny gives Linda a kiss on the cheek as she nervously goes to meet her father. As he goes to the trunk of the car to get gifts out for the boys, Linda is alarmed to see a woman sitting in the front passenger seat. Linda has looked forward to seeing her father but she wasn't ready to meet her mother let alone have her see the boys.

As panic descended on Linda, her father approached her and hugged her to him. "I brought her now because she needs to see for herself how wrong she was and what she is missing out on."

Danny who is looking out of the window can see Angela sitting in the passenger seat and trying not to let the boys see how much he dislikes Linda's mom, makes his way outside to offer Linda support. "John, good to see you again," Danny says shaking John by the hand. "Please come inside, the boys are about to pop if you don't go in and see them soon," he laughs, trying to keep the mood light as Angela steps from the car and surveys the area around her daughters house with disdain. Linda stays stuck to the spot not knowing what her mother's reaction will be to her daughter's home and more importantly, to her family.

John turns to his wife and shouts "Come on in, you're letting all the heat out of the house," forcing Angela to make her way up the driveway to greet Linda. "Hey mom," Linda forces herself to say. "Thank you for coming over." Without making eye contact with Linda, her mother walks to the door. "This was your fathers doing darling, I don't really see the point in racking up old wounds do you? But he wants to see your children so here we are. What are their names again, your father told me but I have forgotten…" Linda is about to call the whole visit off when Jack comes to the door. "Hey Grandma, my name is Jack would you like to come inside?" he says sweetly. "Thank you Jack that would be nice," she says, stepping past Danny as if he wasn't even there.

Linda brushed past everyone and into the kitchen, not wanting the boys to see how upset she was. Danny heads in behind her and puts his arms on her shoulders. Linda lets out two sobs before Danny holds her to him. "Why does she have to be so horrible?" Linda says, burying her head into Danny's shoulder. Before Danny can speak Angela is standing in the kitchen. "I'd like a word with my daughter alone please," she instructs Danny. "Hey lady you're in my house now and I ain't seventeen anymore. You don't get to tell me what you will and wont do, if you got something to say lets hear it, then make up some excuse and get the hell out of my house," Danny told her, almost ready to physically remove her from his home.

Linda places an arm on Danny and quietly asks him to give her a moment with her mother. Once Danny had gone into the yard with the boys and John, Linda asked, "So why did you come over if you weren't even going to make an effort with my boys. What is it I did that was so wrong you would miss out on seeing your own grandchildren?"

Angela looked around the small kitchen and said, "I wanted you to have better than this. I wanted a husband that wasn't going to have you live your life in fear he would be shot or beaten to death every time he went to work. I wanted you to have security, a husband of good standing in the community, a nice house in a good neighbourhood, have a garden for your children to play in. Instead you chose this and I'm meant to be happy? He is a cop for Gods sake Linda, and from what I've heard, one that doesn't always keep within the rules."

"That's enough mother!" Linda yells. "You would sooner me be unhappy, married to a wife beater like Alan than have a husband I love, who loves me and would do anything for me, provides for me and our wonderful children. Mother, Danny is worth ten of any man I know and the fact you would rather me be involved with someone you know would knock me around after having a few beers… my God mother, what kind of a life would that have been? I chose to marry Danny because from the first moment I set eyes on him, I knew he was the one, that hasn't changed in fifteen years of marriage. I'm proud my husband is a cop. It's a worry, that goes without saying, but I would sooner sit at home every night worrying if my Danny is coming home safe to me, than wait in fear for a wife beater to walk through the door not knowing if tonight was the night he beats me to death."

Danny had heard every word Linda said and wasn't prepared to listen any longer. "Angela," he said as he walked through the door. "Your time line just expired. I don't even care anymore that you don't think I am good enough for your daughter. I know I have been a good husband and I love my wife and kids more than life itself, so do yourself a favour and don't give me the chance to show you if those rumours you heard about me are true."

Danny opens the door leading to the lounge and gestures for her to leave. John steps in from the yard and gives his wife a twenty dollar bill. "You will need this for a cab. I am staying here to spend some time with my wonderful daughter and her family, if you will permit it that is Danny?" Danny nods to John. " I have missed all those years of taking them out, seeing them grow and for what, because I was to scared to stand up to my own wife? Well no more Angela, it stops now. I will be home in a few days, gives you time to have my stuff packed. I have a friend I met at the school. She is a very kind loving lady, everything you are not. I will be staying with her a while. Goodbye Angela," John says as he walks back out to his grandchildren and Angela looks on in disbelief while Danny holds the door open and coughs, trying not to laugh out loud. "Erm, I think that is your cue to leave Angela," Danny says.

After Angela has gone, Danny grabs hold of Linda and hugs her to him. "I'm glad you take after your pop," he laughs, and Linda just holds him, still physically shaken by what had gone on. "I've got to hand it to your old man though, getting himself a new lady friend, good on him," Danny smiles. His smile soon fades as he looks at Linda who looked totally crushed. "Hey come on babe, you did all you could. Sometimes you just have to walk away." "Danny, she is my mother, she brought me into the world, how would you feel if it were your mother?" Linda crosses herself as she speaks about Danny's late mother. "Could you ever imagine your mom treating a dog like my mother has just treated us?"

Danny puts his head down and wait's a few moments before speaking. "Thanks by the way, for what you said about me. Glad you still feel that way after all this time," Danny says, his head still bowed not knowing what else he can do for Linda.

That night, Danny tried his best to shake off what he heard Linda say to her mother but he couldn't. After they had put the boys to bed, Linda asked him what was wrong, she could read Danny like a book and knew something was playing on his mind.

"What's up Danny, you pull a bad case at work, you have been quiet all night?" Linda asked. She had always tried to be there for Danny, letting him off load any troubles he may have onto her, as she always worried if he was stressed he wouldn't have his mind on the job when he was out on the street and she would do anything to help keep him safe. Danny not wanting to bring Linda's past up tried to brush it off. "Nah honey, it's just the events of today and being over tired just caught up on me I guess." Linda knew he wasn't telling her what was really wrong but decided to wait till later to bring the matter up again.

Later as they lay in bed, Danny seemed to be a million miles away. Linda leaned up so she was facing him and said as she stroked his chest. "Talk to me Danny, what's really on your mind?" Danny looked away, confirming to Linda something was troubling him. She pulled his face to her gently and kissed him soft on the lips. "Danny, what is troubling you honey?"

Danny looked up and gave a small cough to clear his throat. "It was just when you were talking to your mom and you said about that guy she wanted you to marry, you said about how he was a wife beater and it just made me go cold." Danny pauses for a moment almost too scared to ask the question that was burning in his mind. Linda kissed Danny again and whispered, "Don't worry, I wasn't speaking from personal experience."

The relief that over took Danny's whole body was visible to see, and he just held Linda in his arms without saying a word. After a few moments Linda cupped Danny's face in her hands and kissed him full on the lips before starting to speak. "I was only sixteen when I first started dating Alan, wasn't even really dating him he just used to take me the movies. Was more his mom's doing than his I think. We would spend Sunday's at each others houses, I had known him all my life. Then one Saturday night about three weeks before I met you he took me to see some school band play, probably because it was free to watch, anyway some of the older guys had liquor so Alan decided to try some even though he didn't drink. That night he tried to take things further than a goodnight kiss at the porch door. I told him no and tried to push him away but he pinned me against the wall." Danny's face went white and Linda could feel his body tighten as she continued to talk. "It's ok Danny I swear he didn't harm me, he just had his hands all over me he was so creepy. I managed to somehow lift my knee up and kick him and as he fell to the floor I managed to run away. I ran into my house and made sure I was never alone with him again. Then I met you and the rest is history."

Danny sat up in bed and rubbed a hand over his face. "You should have told me, I would have gone round and bust his head off every Godamn wall in the street." Linda placed her head underneath Danny's chin. "I figured as much and that is why I didn't say anything, I wouldn't have wanted you to get into trouble over an idiot like him." "Did you ever see him again after we got together?" Danny asked. Linda sat up and thought for a moment. "It was funny, his mom stopped talking to us after I met you. That's why my mom didn't like you. They had both been set on making us two kids an item that after I made it clear I was not going to stop dating you, they never bothered with us anymore. Then an old school pal started dating him and when Jack was small I heard through another friend that she married Alan but he would often beat her when he came home drunk. She is still with him, has a couple of kids but she lives in fear of him, Cheryl my friend told me. She still keeps in touch with Jan though I haven't spoken to her for years since the boys were small and I used to visit my parents house."

Danny was so relived that nothing happened to Linda. He had done many things in his time, had used violence in trying to nail a case far more times than any cop should, but never once had he raised a hand to a woman. It was alien to him how a man could use his fists against his own wife, the mother of his children. Danny shuddered as he tried to push those thoughts from his mind. He had enough bad thoughts to keep him awake at night, he didn't need to go looking for anymore. He hugged Linda tight to him, just glad of the life they had and, as he drifted off too sleep in her arms, that is what he tried to focus on.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks to the people who have reviewed all the stories I have put on. So kind of you to take the time to leave a review it means so much when people leave reviews.

Alison so glad you like last chapter hope you like what's coming up.

CHAPTER SIX

Weeks had passed by since the incident with Angela, and Danny was back working through his case load, trying his best to juggle work and getting home each night in time to see his boys before bedtime. The last couple of nights he hadn't been so successful at doing this and he was missing seeing the boys. He was trying to clear up paperwork from his desk with the solemn promise to himself that he would be home no later than 1700 hours tonight. He was going to enjoy a family dinner and be there to put his boys to bed.

Jackie smiled to herself as Danny made his plans known, imagining what the perp Danny had just locked up would make of his view on family time, after Danny had just put the guy in a headlock and threatened to throw him out of a sixth floor apartment window whilst arresting him on suspicion of murdering his wife in front of their two young boys.

Danny was just about to put his coat on and head home when his cell rang. Linda's name flashed up and Danny's face lit up as he answered the call. "Mrs Reagan," he smiled down the phone. "I'm leaving now, promise I will be home for 1700 hours tops babe." Linda was glad to know Danny was coming home and decided what she rang to tell him could wait till after he was safely home and had enjoyed time with the boys.

Dinner was Pot Roast, Danny's favourite and after hearing all the news from Jack about how well he was doing in the baseball mini league, Danny sat with Sean on his lap while going through his spellings that had been sent home from school to learn for his test the next day. Linda stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching how her boys were so glad having their Daddy to themselves and couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty at how lucky she was to have her family around her. The footage she had seen on the news earlier that day made her even more aware how lucky she was to have her Danny and the boys.

After the boys had spent time having rough and tumble with Danny, who seemed to enjoy it more that they did, Linda started getting the boys ready for bed and after supper, Danny climbed the stairs with Sean stuck to his back and Jack trying to swing off his neck. After bedtime stories and kisses goodnight, Danny emerged looking more tired than the boys were. "Don't know what takes it out of me more, arresting a crook or putting the boys to bed, I must be getting old!" He laughed as Linda poured them both a glass of wine.

"Do you remember when all that stuff was going on with my mom and I told you about that boy Alan?" Linda said looking on edge. Danny picked up on the tension in her voice and immediately jumped up. "Has he done anything to you Linda?" Danny couldn't help hide the worry in his tone. "Not to me no, it was on the news earlier. I couldn't believe it as first so I rang Jan's mother to check if it was true. Danny you're not going to believe it but he has killed his wife. Jan is dead, he came home from a night of drinking and strangled her…" Her voice broke and then she said with tears in her eyes, "But worst of all, he did it in front of his two boys." Have you heard anything in work, who is on the case because from what Jan's mother told me, he isn't like the boy I knew, he is into drugs, women, gambling and more besides. I wouldn't mind being on the jury for that one, I don't mind telling you. What kind of a sick animal would do that to his own wife in front of his own children?"

Danny was about to tell Linda it was his case but something stopped him. He didn't want her worrying he might do something to Alan after what she had told him, so he thought about it for a moment then said, "South Precinct picked up a murder today, it must have been him," not daring to tell his wife he had only hours earlier been stopped from hurling Hudson from the sixth floor window after nearly breaking his neck.

The next day Danny and Jackie were about to approach the interview room to start more questioning with Hudson, when their Sergeant came out of his office. "Curatola, you're needed in Booking In, they need a female officer present while they search a female for drugs, and guess what, you are the only female available so…." The sergeant waves his hand towards Booking In, gesturing for Jackie to follow him. Jackie frowns as Danny smirks and says "Have fun," as she walks towards the door leaving Danny heading into the interview room alone.

He pulls out a chair and sits opposite Alan and starts to open the file. "So Mr Hudson, you say you came home from work at 23.00 hours and found your wife lying on the kitchen floor and you dialled 911, is that correct?" Alan nods but doesn't answer. "For the tape Mr Hudson, if you could answer the question," Danny requests. "Yeah I've told you, are you deaf as well as dumb?" Danny can feel his temper rising and he sits on his hands to avoid the temptation of dragging him over the desk and finishing what he started the previous day.

"Ok Mr Hudson. The call to 911 was timed at 23.45 and there are three separate calls made in the meantime from neighbours to report your wife screaming and shouting for help, before she fell silent at around 23.40 which is just before you rang 911. So can you tell me about the time in between you getting home and her being found dead on the kitchen floor?"

Alan shrugged his shoulders. "What time is my lawyer getting here?" Danny looked at the clock. "He is in court until 14.00 hours so you will have to make do with me till then ok?" Danny said, with a fake smile before standing up. "I'd sooner make do with your wife.." Hudson said smirking. Danny froze to the spot as he processed what had just been said, but before he could react Hudson continued. "Oh but that's right, I already have done her before you even knew her, age has done nothing for her, your welcome to her now." Danny was about to pull Hudson over the table as the door opened and Jackie entered the room. Sensing Danny was about to kill Hudson, Jackie pulled Danny out of the interview room. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked Danny. Do you know this guy from some old case or something, because this is the second time in two days I have had to stop you from trying to kill this guy? What gives Danny?" Jackie asks Danny, not prepared for him to leave her out of the loop. "You got some beef with this guy I need to know about?" she continues. "You know I will cover your ass but you need to start talking to me Reagan." Danny runs his hand over his face and turns away before looking back to Jackie and taking a deep breath. "No I don't know this guy Jac, I just hate the fact he could kill his wife and leave them two kids with no mom, they are the same age as Jack and Sean."

Jackie nods. Danny never really coped well with family murder cases, especially when there were kids involved. She grabbed hold of Danny's arm. "Ok but I will lead the interview ok, you have just got the last suspension taken off your record, let's keep it that way hey. I hated the partner they dumped on me the last time you took a three day wrap so just think of me before you bust the next perps head please?" Danny offers Jackie a smile. "Ok I'm sorry, I won't punch this ones lights out I promise!"

Before they can restart the interview Hudson's lawyer turns up with a large file containing his notes. "I've come to collect my client. He can only be held for twelve hours without you charging him and you have no evidence to prove he did anything so till you do I want him released on bail, thank you."

Before Danny can argue, his Sergeant is outside his office. "Reagan, cut him loose now!" he shouts, in a tone Danny is all too familiar with. Danny slams the desk before telling Jackie "Go let the animal out of its cage." While Hudson was being released on bail, Danny sat seething in his seat. Unable to take it any longer he grabs his coat. "Jackie, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you, I have an appointment with that therapist they make me see when they let me back off my last suspension. I should have been there twenty minutes ago, will you cover things here. My dad will kick my ass if I miss the appointment?"

Jackie smiles as she watches Danny rush out of the door but twenty minutes later when she got up to do some filing, she notices Danny is still in his car in the car park. She thinks at first he was maybe trying to force himself to actually go and see the therapist, as it was his dad who made him book the sessions which was part of the terms of him being allowed back to Major Cases. Just as Jackie was satisfied that this is what he was doing, she notices Hudson get into his car after being released on bail and Danny starting his engine to follow him. "No Reagan…" She mumbles to herself as she heads to the lift trying to catch Reagan.

By the time she gets to the car park Danny and Hudson are long gone. She drives around for a few blocks trying to locate them all the time ringing Danny on his cell which goes straight to voice mail. After leaving ten messages on Danny's cell phone she decides to head back to the office and get the address for Hudson, at least then she could camp outside his house and wait for Danny to show up and then she can stop him from doing something stupid.

Danny is sitting across from Hudson's address when he pulls up. Danny waits for him to go into the apartment block then gets out of his car and heads up the steps. He rings the first bell on the board and tells the voice that answers he is from NYPD making enquires about the death of Mrs Hudson. The occupant of the apartment presses the buzzer and lets Danny inside. He jumps the stairs two at a time till he gets to apartment 274.

He knocks on the door and waits for Hudson to open it. Before Hudson can shut the door Danny pushes it hard with his shoulder and slams into the hallway, his gun sticking in Hudson's throat. "So you're a big tough guy I hear, like pushing sixteen year old girls around, so let's see how tough you are when they grow up and their husbands come for payback!" Danny says pushing the gun into the side of his neck. "Now I'm gonna say this slow, so you get it, if you ever come anywhere near my wife, before I get your sad murdering ass locked up, this gun is going to blow a big hole in that sick head of yours."

Hudson gives a smirk that sends Danny over the edge and he punches Hudson in the stomach before kicking him in the groin. As Hudson slumps to the ground, Danny grabs his hair and starts to pound his face. When Hudson is almost unconscious Danny hears his cell ring and stops beating him to look at the screen. Jackie's number is flashing and he answers breathless. She bypasses any formalities and tells him, "You have one minute to get out of that apartment and start driving before I turn into Hudson's Street. Don't make me have to come and get you Danny and I suggest you put some ice on your hand before you head back to work after your therapy session." "Thanks Jackie," is all Danny says before leaving Hudson in a heap on the floor.

Danny heads to a bar to cool off and waits a while before daring to call his partner. She answers after just one ring and Danny doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. "Where are you?" Is all she says, so he thinks it's a bad thing. "Malone's Bar," he replies and the line goes dead. He orders another whisky chaser and has drank it by the time Jackie arrives. He nods to the bar tender for the same again and orders the same for Jackie who knocks if back in one shot before looking at Danny.

"I don't care that you were gonna go after this punk Reagan, I care you lied to me when I asked you if you had a beef with him!" Danny looks down but before he can answer, Jackie continues. "You don't trust me Reagan, that's fine, but we are done." Danny almost falls back off the stool when he hears what Jackie just said. "No Jackie, no no no! You have got this all wrong!" Danny pleads with Jackie. "Yeah, well from where I'm standing, I asked you a question and you lied to me. So how can you be my partner if I can't trust you anymore?"

Danny grabs Jackie around so she is looking straight at him. "Jackie I trust you with my life everyday as you trust me with yours. I just didn't want you getting dragged into an IA if anything went wrong with what I needed to do. This guy Jackie, he dated Linda way back when they were kids. He tried it on with her when she was just sixteen. I only found out about it when she got back in touch with her pop and next thing he is in an interview room on a murder charge. I wouldn't have even known it was him, only Linda saw it on the news and told me. So yesterday, when you went to Booking In he starts going on about how he had Linda, he was vile Jackie. I just wanted him to know that I was on to him and if he came after Linda I was gonna be ready for him this time. I didn't tell you because if he files a complaint, then you don't get dragged into it. I'm sorry, I should have told you but please don't ever think I don't trust you. Hell Jackie, it would kill me if you didn't want to ride with me again."

Jackie took his whisky and drank it back in one gulp before grabbing his hand. "Next time you want to play John Wayne you tell me, so I can cover you. Do you hear. That's what partners do right?" She tells Danny and he nods.

Danny was still a bit sheepish the next day facing Jackie. It really threw him when he thought his partner wouldn't work with him again. He and Jackie were more like family than partners. He loved her like a sister and the thought she didn't want to work a case with again was more than he could bear. He knew he had been out of line and needed to make it up to her. He was never one for making grand gestures, not even to Linda, but when he was wrong he was wrong and he was the first to try and put things right. So armed with a bouquet he entered the office and left them on her desk, relived that he was in before her for a change.

Jackie smiled as she saw the flowers and milking Danny for all this was worth enquired, "Who are these from?" Danny knew she was making him sweat but knew he was in no position to argue. "Some dumb ass that took his partner for a mug yesterday and is truly sorry," Danny said, meaning every word. Jackie walked around the desk and planted a kiss on Danny's cheek. "Not necessary but very much appreciated, tell the dumb ass!" She smiled. "So we are sweet?" Danny asked, still a bit unsure if his partner could forgive him. "Yeah Reagan, we're sweet." Jackie smiled. Danny got to his feet and hugged his partner to him. "Good, cause I hate being wrong," he laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sorry for the delay in the update due to me and my son being ill for the last week.

Hope you are all still with me on this and enjoy this chapter.

Not long to wait now till the new season of Blue Bloods starts can't wait!

Please review if you read this chapter thanks…

As things got back to normal with Jackie and Danny, they still had to figure out how they could nail this case on Hudson. "So go through the forensics again," Jackie said, reading a note in the file. Danny reached for a piece of paper and read, "No prints, no fibres under Hudson's nails." Jackie swung around on her chair. "So he wore gloves, how do we make it stick then?" she asked Danny. "What about her cell phone, check to see if she has any texts or calls that might have been made asking for help," Danny said, rummaging through Jan Hudson's personal belongings to find her cell phone.

Danny starts to read through the messages but still finds nothing than can tie Hudson to her. He searches on the menu of the phone for the voicemail messages and still finds nothing. He checks the last number dialled on her phone which shows a timeline of 23.49 which would have been when the attack was taking place. Danny dials the number which belongs to someone called Cheryl. He remembers Linda said her friend was called Cheryl. The phone goes straight to voicemail and Danny leaves a message.

About twenty minutes later Jackie takes a call from Cheryl Groves returning Danny's call. She asks Jackie if she could come to the station as she needs to speak with an officer urgently. Cheryl is at the station within half an hour of the call being made and Jackie takes her straight to an interview room. Cheryl is visibly shaking and handed Jackie her cell phone without speaking a single word.

Jackie presses the voicemail button and stands in amazement listening to the contents of the message. Danny came into the interview room halfway through the message being played to hear a re-run of Hudson arguing with his wife. Screams are heard from Jan Hudson and her voice is heard begging her husband to stop hitting her. Children's voices in the background are heard screaming to leave their Mom alone before a deadly silence. Then Hudson is heard dialling 911 saying he has just found his wife lying on the floor of there apartment and she isn't breathing.

Danny and Jackie cannot believe they have in their possession the actual recording of the murder. Cheryl explains she had been away on a trip and left her phone at home as she was using a company phone while she was away.

When she got back the day after the murder she was that upset at finding her friend was dead she hadn't even thought to check her own phone. Then today as she was cleaning her apartment to try and take her mind off what had happened to her friend, she came across her phone and charged it up. It was only then she realized she had several missed calls and was playing them back and came across this one from her friend.

Danny was ecstatic at finding this evidence but he wanted to make sure that everything was in place before he arrested Hudson, knowing his lawyer was one of the top in the city. Danny wanted to make sure it was a watertight case before an arrest was made. While he was waiting for the paperwork to come back from Erin's office and warrants to be drawn up, Danny decides to take advantage of having a free half day and makes plans to take Linda for lunch.

Linda is delighted when she received a call from Danny telling her to meet at one of their favourite restaurants at 14.00 hours, as he wants to treat her to lunch and with the boys at soccer practice that night, it meant they had even longer to enjoy a few hours quality time together.

Linda arrives at the restaurant just before 14.00 hours and is not surprised that Danny hadn't arrived. She asks the waiter if a reservation had been made and the waiter shows her to a table over looking Central Park. Linda settles back and enjoys the view waiting for her husband to arrive. She orders a drink before ringing Danny to see how much longer he will be. When his phone goes straight to voicemail she leaves a message telling him she is at the restaurant and to hurry up. After ten minutes Linda starts to become concerned and after sending two further text messages and two further calls go unanswered, she starts to panic. As the waiter approaches to take Linda's order, she asks for the bill and decides to ring the precinct to see if Danny had been caught up with a case and couldn't get away to phone her.

Jackie answers and tells Linda Danny had left over an hour ago which makes Linda's stomach turn. Jackie's voice too shows sign of the worry she was now feeling as she knew Danny was looking forward to spending time with Linda, she also tries his mobile which again goes straight to answer phone.

Linda by this time was in total panic and a horrible feeling was rising from the pit of her stomach that something had happened to Danny. As she is leaving the restaurant she rings Franks mobile, not knowing what else to do and explains what has happened. Frank tells Linda he will get a trace put on Danny's phone and for her to make her way to the precinct. He tries to reassure his daughter in law Danny has just been caught up with something and there will be a perfectly reasonably explanation as to why Danny wasn't picking up but deep down he knew that Danny would never leave Linda waiting for him without contacting her to say he would be late.

As Frank reaches Danny's desk, Jackie is about to put her coat on and head out to look for her partner. Frank asks Jackie if she knows of anything that had happened over recent weeks with any cases that could shed any light as to why Danny was possibly missing. Jackie hesitated and looked away before answering which was enough to let Frank know Danny had upset somebody. "Jackie, if you know something, even if Danny has done something wrong, I need to know."

Jackie proceeded to tell Frank about Danny attacking Alan Hudson as Frank sits holding his head. "Damn it, why do you have to be so headstrong Danny?" he says, thumping Danny's desk. Before Jackie can answer the commissioner, the phone rings. The data is ready which has checked Danny's phone, the last location was near the dockland before the signal was lost.

As Linda arrives at the station Frank decides it would be best if Linda wasn't around the station now they had a lead on Danny, so he swiftly got an officer to take Linda home telling her she needed to wait in case Danny tried to contact home.

Frank then proceeds to ring Jamie to get him to head back to the station with Runenzo and Jackie grabs her old friend Detective Grant, who had worked with both her and Danny in the past and could be trusted to join this operation.

Linda is sitting at home waiting for news of Danny when her father calls her mobile. Wanting to keep the line free for news from Danny she tells her father the situation and the need to keep the phone lines free. Within twenty minutes of the call her father is at her door wanting to offer her comfort as she waits for news of her beloved Danny.

Frank rang Linda as he made his way to the dockland to keep her updated with the latest development. Linda is shocked to hear Danny had been involved with the arrest of Hudson. She had no idea Danny had been to see him and felt such guilt that her telling Danny about Hudson had lead him to use such violence and now placed him in such danger.

John was shocked to know Alan the boy he had known all his life, was capable of such violence. He told Linda that Alan's mother had never forgiven her son for not marrying Linda and had cut him out of her will when Linda dumped him. Alan's mother had been determined to get onto the local council and Linda's mother had offered to be her sponsor in gaining a place during the election, in return for Alan becoming Linda's husband. When Linda dumped Alan her mother had dropped her support for Mrs Hudson to get onto the council and that left her political career over before it had even begun. She never forgave Alan for this and cut him out of her will leaving Alan with no inheritance and on a slippery slope to self destruction.

Linda was appalled that both families would act so ruthlessly with their children's lives but she was even more concerned for Danny's wellbeing, now she knew the motive Hudson had for inflicting injury on her Danny. Linda's father told her Hudson had a lock up on the dock, he used to store an old boat that belonged to his father. It was the only thing he got when his parents had died.

Danny was getting the same information Linda had just received from her father but his was first hand from Hudson as he was bound and gagged and handcuffed to a post. Each time Hudson finished a sentence, he struck Danny with a belt across his back or kicked him in the stomach. By the end of the one way conversation Danny was bleeding from his head and mouth and had lost consciousness, around the part of the story were Linda's Mom dropped the campaign.

Seeing Danny was unconscious, Hudson kicked him hard in the face causing Danny's head to fall backwards like a rag doll. As Hudson continued to kick Danny like a football, Jackie and Jamie appeared at the window of the warehouse and could see Danny was in serious trouble.

Jackie lined a shot up through a small crack in a window and without waiting for Frank to give the command she took it, knowing waiting would leave Danny in further peril.

Jackie's shot was always good and caught Hudson in the back causing him to fall to the ground. Jamie, not wanting to take any chance took a further two shots at him and Jackie ran through the warehouse to get to Danny as Hudson lay in a pool of blood on the floor, his lifeless body slumped against the lifeless body of Danny.

Jackie raced to her partner, trying to fumble for her keys to un-cuff him, as Jamie removed the ties from his hands and mouth. Danny slumped forward as Jackie screamed at Jamie to dial 911, as she started to give her beloved partner CPR.

"Come on Reagan stay with me," she almost pleaded with her partner, as she searched

for a pulse. Danny's eyes flickered briefly but he still didn't move.

Frank was over to them in seconds and held his sons hand willing him to wake up. After what seemed like an eternity the paramedics arrived and placed an oxygen mask over Danny's blood stained face. His eyes were closed over due to the swelling and his jaw was misshaped causing his face to look like it didn't belong to his handsome son.

The paramedic's lifted Danny into the back of the ambulance and closed the door behind them. "We will let you know if you can travel with him to the hospital once we try to stabilize his condition," the paramedic told Frank, as they were moving Danny. Fear gripped him as he heard the words 'trying to stabilize' fearing that it could be too late and nothing could be done for Danny.

After about five minutes the door opened and Frank and Jamie rushed over. "We're taking him to the Downtown Hospital, you can sit with him if you want. He has concussion but he has come round, his jaw is broken so he won't be able to talk but he should be fine.

Frank lifts his head to the sky to thank God that his eldest son is safe and holds Jamie by the shoulder before climbing into the back of the ambulance. He had instructed Jamie to get Linda and take her to the hospital and Jackie had informed Frank she would stay at the scene and wait for somebody to come and collect Hudson's body.

Before the ambulance pulled away to take Danny to the hospital Jackie steps inside to make sure for herself that her partner really was ok. Unable to speak and obviously in pain Danny lifts his thumb in acknowledgement to Jackie for saving his life and that was all she needed to let her know he would be fine and she could wrap things up here, knowing apart from a few broken bones her partner was going to be fine.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed this story

To Alison. Glad you loved it hope this chapter answers your question about how Linda and Danny work through this

To Cfhonan. Here is the Chapter I promised about Linda hope its ok

This chapter is nearly all about Linda reflecting on life with Danny hope its ok if you have read this story and not reviewed would love you to if you have the time. To those that do review thank you so much.

Chapter Eight

Linda and Jamie arrived at the hospital just as the Doctor was speaking to Frank. Linda had done this several times during the course of Danny's career but it never got any easier. The tight knot in her stomach was the same now as it had been the first time he was injured, her heart still raced and she still had to fight to get her breathing under control.

The Doctor smiled as he tried to assure her that her husband was going to be fine. "We will keep him in for a few days. He has concussion, a broken jaw, lacerations to the face and upper body and a few cracked ribs but nothing that won't heal." Linda took a deep breath, grateful his injuries were not life threatening. "Can we see him?" Linda asked, anxious to see for herself what her husband's injuries were like. The Doctor shook his head causing Linda to panic even more. "I'm sorry, you can't see him for a few hours yet, he had to go straight to surgery to have his jaw reset then he will be in recovery for an hour or so. You are welcome to wait in a family room, it's more comfortable there and we will get you when you can see him," the doctor says, trying to offer whatever means of comfort he could to the officer's family. "My dad was on the job for over twenty five years so I know somewhat how you must be feeling, anything I can do to help let me know." He smiles as he shakes Linda's hand before leaving.

The family feel at ease with the doctor who is looking after Danny after Doctor Keeler it was a comfort doctor Shannon was on their side. As the family settle in the room and wait that wait they had done so many times for Danny to come out of surgery. Praying this time he would be fine, hoping they wouldn't find themselves here again, but knowing that Danny was the type of cop who would always put his own safety last and that meant days like today were part of the fabric that made Danny who he was.

That made them love him and be proud of him and to love Danny you had to accept this came with the job he would never change. So Linda sat and prayed and waited for doctor Shannon to take her to the man she loved more than life itself and wait for the healing process of trying to heal him back to health to start all over again.

Jamie told Linda he would go and look after the boys with her father and if Danny woke up before bedtime he would bring them over to see him. If not he would spend the night at their house so Linda could be there when Danny woke up. Linda was grateful to Jamie for being so thoughtful, he knew she wanted to be there when Danny woke up but she hated the boys not having a routine. "Thanks Jamie, I will be home as soon as I know Danny is settled," she told him as she kissed him goodbye.

As one Reagan left he was replaced by two more. As Erin and Henry came rushing through the door, Frank updated them on the situation and Linda offered a small weak smile to her sister in law as they sat making small talk, just wanting Danny to be out of surgery.

As Linda sat and waited for news of her husband her mind drifted back over time. A small smile formed on her face as she remembered seeing him for the first time in that bar when he was so young. Yet still even back then he looked so strong and when that smile flashed across his face she couldn't take her eyes of him. Yet when he spoke to her she couldn't believe how soft his voice was. She had never believed in love at first sight until that moment.

She couldn't stop the butterflies in her stomach when he spoke to her and she thought she would faint when he asked her if he could take her out the following night. But she almost fell through the floor when he told her his name was Danny Reagan. This couldn't be the same Danny Reagan all her friends had spoken about, the guy who had a different girl on his arm every night of the week? Surly this was another Danny Reagan or the gossip about him was wrong, because she knew this Danny Reagan that spoke so soft and smiled like an angel, could never break her heart.

She almost laughs out loud as she remembers how his Dad ribbed him when he brought Linda home for the first time and how his wonderful mother telling Linda this was the first time Danny had ever brought a girl home to meet the family. Danny's mother had always worried about that temper of his right up until the day she died. She worried one day it would get him into trouble that he couldn't get himself out of.

Linda and Mary knew Danny better than he knew himself and Mary had told Linda how much better she felt when Danny settled down with Linda. His mother knew Linda was good for Danny, how he had grown into a man once he met Linda and he had took to fatherhood like a duck to water, his love for his two boys stronger than anything in the whole world.

Tears formed in her eyes as she relives the moment Danny proposed to her before 9/11 and before Iraq, when life was just fun and Danny didn't have a care in the world.

He was always romantic towards Linda and strange as it seemed, he never tried to hide this in front of other people. He was always the tough guy on the job even with his family, but no matter who was around he was always the same with Linda. He would always hug and kiss her and hold her hand in the street. Being with Danny was like being the only person in the world.

It was a Sunday evening mid May when Linda's world became complete. Danny had taken her to a new restaurant that had just opened with a roof terrace. It was the only one of its kind in New York back then and he had booked a table for them over three months in advance.

The sun was just setting over Manhattan, a firework display had just started for the opening of the restaurant, Sinatra was playing in the background and when the waiter brought over the champagne Danny had ordered, Linda began to laugh. Her heart beat a little faster as Danny got down on one knee and produced the most amazing diamond ring Linda had ever seen. "Linda, will you make me the happiest man in the world and become my wife?" Danny asked and as their fellow dinners looked on and applauded, Linda gave Danny her hand and through tears said "yes, of course I will." Danny flashed his famous Reagan smile as he placed the ring on her finger before enveloping her into a passionate kiss.

A few years later it was Linda's turn to surprise Danny. He had just got home from a late shift. They had rented a small flat not far from the station since they had got married and Danny had tried to sneak in as quiet as he could so as not to wake Linda, but as he opened the door leading to the lounge he was surprised to see Linda was still up. A bottle of beer was chilling in the kitchenette and Linda stood up and kissed Danny as he entered the room. "Hey babe what's up?" he asked, "not like you to still be up on a work night." Linda handed Danny the beer and kissed him full on the lips. "I just wanted to see you before I went to sleep, I have missed you this week," said Linda, as she placed her head on his chest. Placing his hand on her tummy she looked up and held his gaze. "Do you think I look any different?" she asked him. "No babe you look gorgeous!" Danny smiled. "I'm not gaining weight or anything…?" Linda laughed playfully. "No babe you are fine." Danny moved away from Linda and dropped wearily onto the settee.

Linda rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen and got another beer for her husband. Danny took it gratefully. "Do you think this flat will be big enough for another person?" Linda said as she sat in the chair opposite Danny. Flicking to the sports channel Danny rolled his eyes. "What's happened now, has Erin had another argument with that husband of hers?" Danny said, not looking up from the TV.

Linda sighed and tried again. No one had fallen out it's just we will be getting our own guest soon," Linda smiled but Danny still didn't look up from the TV. "Yeah, who?" "Not sure yet if it's a son or a daughter…" Linda beamed. Danny nodded and continued to watch TV for at least thirty seconds before the beer bottle smashed to the floor. Danny looked at Linda stunned and stammered. "You mean…?" unable to speak another word. "Yeah Danny, we are going to have a baby!"

Tears streamed down Danny's face as he hugged Linda to him, gently placing his hand on her stomach. That night as they lay in bed Linda excitedly talked about the future but Danny seemed quiet. Linda suddenly looked up horrified, maybe this wasn't what Danny wanted. They had spoken about kids but nothing serious. "Danny you do want a baby don't you?" Linda asked, her heart dropping to her stomach. Danny wiped a hand over his face. "Linda, what if I'm no good at being a dad, what if I screw up?" he asked in panic. Linda laughed. "Danny you will be a great Dad, the best. Our baby is going to have so much love it won't know what to do with it all."

Finally Danny looked up at Linda "All my life I've messed about, never taking anything serious, but now I know babe, now I understand what it's all about, this is what I've been waiting for all my life. I won't let you and Junior down. I swear Linda, no more messing about from now on. I'm gonna make a life for us I promise." The next day Danny put in to do his exam to become a detective and the rest is history.

As her mind runs over their life together, she remembers the first time she got a phone call to tell her Danny was in hospital. His partner had rung Linda to say Danny had been taken to hospital but not to worry, he was fine. Linda had lived with the dread of getting that call since she had meet Danny, but when it finally came, her throat had gone dry and her legs buckled underneath her. Even though his partner back then had assured Linda he was fine, she rushed to the hospital to find Danny sat in a cubicle looking embarrassed. Apparently Danny had been chasing a robber on foot when a child had run into Danny on a scooter and knocked him to the ground causing him to fall and break his ankle. They had laughed so much about the first call to the hospital but deep down she knew that one day she would receive a call and it would be a real injury.

Linda was broken from her thoughts as Frank walked in with four cups of coffee and Linda was back in reality again, waiting to see her Danny. Erin finished drinking her coffee then headed home to see to Nicky, telling Linda and her dad to phone as soon as Danny came round.

Erin must have passed the Doctor on her way to the lift as it was only minutes later the kind faced doctor came back into the room. He smiled at Linda as he told her Danny was now in recovery and she could see him. The Doctor explained Danny had to have his jaw wired up and he couldn't talk but Linda could sit with him awhile until he fell asleep.

Linda was up and out of the room as soon as the Doctor had finished speaking. He showed her into a room that Danny was in and as she saw him lying in the bed, her heart broke as he looked so helpless.

His face battered and bruised and his mouth swollen, the drip in his arm made visible the wounds he received when Hudson had tried to stab him. It made Linda wrench to think she was responsible for her husband being in this state.

As she walked over to his bed the tears stung her eyes. Danny unable to talk raised his thumb to let her know he was ok. She couldn't control the sobs that made her body shake. Feeling so responsible for her beloved Danny being held captive by a monster she had unintentionally led him too.

Danny put his arms out to Linda to bring her towards him and held her as she sobbed. Realising this was probably making Danny worse Linda tried to get her emotions together before looking up at Danny.

She rubbed a hand over her face and took a deep breath before talking. "I'm so sorry baby, this is all my fault. If I hadn't told you that monster was Hudson, you would never have gone after him and this would never have happened." Danny shakes his head and grabs Linda's hand and holds it to his face. Tears in his eyes, he is unable to speak but he puts Linda's two hands in his and holds them to his heart. This makes Linda's heart break as she knows Danny is telling her this is not her fault, but it makes her feel even more responsible for Danny's injuries.

Before Linda could say anymore the nurse comes in and tells Linda that Danny needs to rest and she would have to come back in the morning. Linda kisses Danny's hand and tells him again she loves him, trying not to cry as she walks away, not wanting the last image he has of her to carry him through the night is one of Linda in tears.

The next morning Linda is up with the lark and at the hospital before Danny has even woke up. It was only because the doctor was from a police family she was allowed in at all. As Danny opened his eyes he was delighted to see Linda sitting in the chair next to him. As the drugs had worn off he was more coherent and able to communicate better. He put his thumb up to tell Linda he was ok and she kissed his forehead. The nurse brought a pen and a pad into the room so Danny could communicate with messages. The first thing he wrote was "I LOVE YOU XX"

Linda smiled and told Danny she loved him too. He took the pad back and wrote "Linda babe this is not your doing. I shouldn't have tried to wage my own personal war on that creep. I shouldn't have let myself get into that situation and I'm so sorry for putting you and the boys through another hospital call, but this is not your fault so stop that worrying, do you promise?" Linda nodded her head. Ok I promise." Danny takes the pad and writes. "Will you bring the boys in tonight, I cant wait to see them, have they been ok with this?" Linda smiles and assures Danny. The boys think he is on a secret mission and didn't know he had been taken by Hudson. Jamie had told them last night about their daddy's injury but that he was ok, so they weren't too distressed, but they couldn't wait to come and see their daddy.

The doctor entered the room and shook Danny's hand as he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm doctor Shannon," he smiled as he started to examine Danny's jaw. "Its healing nicely, once you can tolerate drinking from a sip straw and we are happy that your obs are ok, you should be able to go home, probably tomorrow or the next day. Danny wrote 'thanks' on the pad and the doctor smiled. "Well I will leave you two alone. Buzz the nurse if you need anything," he told Linda as he left the room.

He had only gone a few moments when Frank and Henry appear. They tell Danny they won't stay long as the nurse advised them that Danny needed to rest. "Just wanted to check that you were ok son," Frank says, as he holds Danny's hand. He could tell Danny was getting agitated because he couldn't talk so he decided to head home and wait till Danny was feeling better later in the day before returning.

The nurse entered the room as Frank and Henry were about to leave and advises Linda she should give Danny a few hours rest as he was becoming restless and not being able to speak and this was making his blood pressure rise. Not wanting to cause Danny any more pain Linda kisses him gently and tried not to let her sorrow show as she was forced to leave him alone again.


	9. Chapter 9

So sorry for such a long delay in updating due to being ill for a week or so haven't had time to update.

Not sure if anyone is still following after such a long time but if you are please leave a review.

There are only two chapters left so everything is brought to a conclusion in this chapter. Hope you enjoy. Love the new season just love Danny and Linda glad showing more of them Last week was my all time favourite episode.

CHAPTER NINE

That evening Linda took the boys to the hospital to see Danny. They were so excited in the car on the drive over thinking Danny had been on a secret mission, not understanding why their father was really in hospital and that he was nearly killed by a monster.

As they approached his room Linda made them wait, she was always nervous of letting them into the room without first checking that Danny was ok. As she entered the room Danny's eyes brightened but upon not seeing the boys behind her, the sparkle seemed to fade. Linda smiled and seeing Danny was ok for the boys to see she turned and called them in. They both raced past her and ran straight to Danny's bed. Both boys knew they couldn't kiss Danny as his jaw was still wired up so they both took a hand each and held it tight.

Tears weld in Danny's eyes and Linda grabbed the pad so Danny could write the boys a message. "Was it really cool on your secret mission?" Sean whispered to Danny, so as not to let the nurse know what his Dad was working on. "Did you get attacked by wild animals and have to fight them off Daddy?" Jack asked. "Uncle Jamie said you had to go deep into the woods on a special mission. Did a big bear grab you?" Sean said, nodding his head hoping that something really exciting had happened to his Dad.

Danny wrote on the pad, "Sorry boys, walked into a tree in the dark looking for some men stealing from a farmer, sorry boys. Danny finishes and shrugs at the boys by way of apology for ruining their story. The boys went quiet then said "Can we press the button on your bed to make it go up and down?" Danny rolled his eyes as Linda told the boys to wait till Danny had got out of the bed as the movement might make him feel sick.

As Linda was helping Danny out of the bed he heard the door open and thinking it would be his Dad or Jamie, Danny raised his hand to gesture them in letting them know he was more up to having visitors than when they had tried to see him earlier in the day.

He felt Linda's arm tighten her grip on him and felt her body go stiff as she looked at the door. Danny pushed himself up off the bed to see what could have caused Linda to react in such a way and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Angela standing in the doorway.

Not wanting to upset the boys, Linda moved over to her mother and pushed her outside the room telling the boys to stay with their father. "What the hell do you think you are doing turning up here like this?" Linda asked her mother, the venom easy to hear in her voice. "I don't want you anywhere near my husband and boys. How dare you turn up and try to upset him after all he has been through, get out now!" Linda's voice became raised and a nurse came over to see if Linda needed any help.

"Please Linda, I need a few minutes with you and Danny. I need to explain what happened….the reason I was so against you marrying a Police Officer."

Before Linda could speak, a voice from behind them spoke for her. "You have had eighteen years to tell her why you disowned her for marring my grandson. You have never been there all the other times she needed her mom, so like hell you will be here now while my grandson is lying in a hospital bed. Now get the hell out before you end up in one of these rooms!" Henry shouted, as he approached them his cane raised in the air.

Before Henry got the chance to say or do anything else, Frank appeared from the lobby and ordered his father to cool down. "Pops this isn't the time or the place to be raising your voice while my grandson's are next door. I won't stand for it not here not anywhere, so either cool down or go outside. It's your call Pops," Frank ordered his father.

Henry glared from Frank to Angela before lowering his cane to his side. "Well?" he asked Angela, his tone sharp. "What is it you feel Linda needs to hear after eighteen years?"

Linda was standing next to Danny's room unable to speak over Henry. "Well mother?" she replied, "We're waiting…"

Just then Erin appeared from the lobby and seeing everyone standing outside Danny's room, feared something was wrong with her brother. She raced to Linda. "What's happened, is Danny ok?" she asked her sister in law, not even noticing Linda's mother. "He's fine Erin. This is my mother, you haven't met her for a long time, and she is just about to tell us what the hell she is doing here…" Linda told Erin. Angela smiles at Erin and offers her hand as she says hello, before asking Erin if she could take the boys to the cafeteria, as she needs to have a word with Linda and Danny away from the boys. Erin nods and enters Danny's room to get Jack and Sean. Danny was perched on the edge of the bed. He grabbed the note pad and wrote "Erin. What's going on?" Erin told him Angela wanted to see him and Linda and she was going to take the boys outside while Linda and her mother came into the room.

Danny was seething by the time Angela entered the room and thought for her sake, it was probably best that he couldn't speak at the moment. Linda, looking pale, followed behind her mother, with Frank and Henry a step behind closing the door and standing either side of Linda.

Angela took an old photograph from her handbag of a policeman in uniform. The picture was torn and battered, an old black and white image. Let me ask you if the name Brannigan is familiar to you Commissioner?" she asked Frank. "James Brannigan mean anything to you?" Frank shook his head. "No it doesn't, why?" he asked, looking at the old photograph.

"This is my father. Officer James Brannigan, he was killed when I was nine years old during the strike on the docks. A riot broke out and he was killed by a police horse that was sent to disburse the crowd. Maybe the name Tommy Brannigan will be more familiar. I'm sure you'll remember him Henry, it was while you were a detective that he killed himself with his service weapon, after the case of the three little girls who disappeared in the summer of 1964. He found the last victim. He never fully recovered and started drinking too much. His wife left him and when things got too much for him, he put a bullet through his head. He was my brother."

The room fell silent as Angela turned to Linda. "That's why I didn't want you mixed up with a policeman, and a Reagan at that. I knew Danny would want to follow in his Grandfathers footsteps and he would push himself all the time. Danger would never be far behind Danny, and I just couldn't bear you to lose your husband, feel the pain I felt when my father died. I couldn't stand by and watch you suffer the way my mother did. She was a widow at just thirty with five children, and the force then didn't even bury him. She had to sell her wedding ring to help pay for the funeral."

Linda moved over to Danny as he sat perched on the end of the bed. She put her arm around his shoulder as she looked at her mother with eyes full of sadness. Linda squeezed his shoulder as she spoke to her mother as if to reassure Danny. "All this time mother, you never told me you where from a police family? At least then I would have known why you were so set against me marrying Danny. But in truth it wouldn't have changed a thing, I would have married Danny if you had told me this eighteen years ago. I love him mom, always have and always will and I wouldn't trade one day of our marriage. Yes I have cried myself to sleep over Danny but those tears were cried out of love, not fear, and the laughter and the love we have shared… that outweighs the worry ten times over."

Angela moved over to Linda and Danny. "I did what I thought was best, to protect you, and I was wrong. You are happy and Danny, you are a good man. I have followed your career through the news and I have seen all your big cases. I want to thank you for the life you have given my daughter." Danny stood up and held Angela's hand. "Well I have said what I came to say and now I will leave you to recover. I just wanted you to know Linda, that I never stopped loving you. You have a wonderful family and you should be very proud of your husband," Angela said, as she fled the room so no one could see her tears.

Linda stayed routed to the spot until Danny leaned over and held her tightly to him. Nobody said a word as Frank and Henry left Linda and Danny alone.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you for the reviews this is the final chapter hope you have enjoyed this story.

Alison glad you have enjoyed and thanks for the reviews sorry I can't send you a message direct.

As always I do not own any characters from Blue Bloods but just borrow them and give them back.

CHAPTER TEN

As Linda enters Danny's room she smiles as she hears Danny say, "Hey Babe," but the smile doesn't last long as she saw how much pain her husband was in to say the two words, but it was still music to her ears hearing him speak.

"Hey yourself" Linda smiled as she kissed Danny on the forehead, still unable to kiss him on the lips. "Doc says I can come home once he has seen me on his rounds today, so should be back home in time for the boys getting home from school."

Linda couldn't wait to have Danny back home. She had missed him so much and so had the boys. But she still couldn't get rid of the guilt she felt as to why Danny was in hospital. Danny knew Linda was giving herself a hard time just by looking at her.

"Hey babe, before we go home lets get one thing cleared up. None of this is your fault ok? I don't want you giving yourself a hard time over this anymore!" Linda nodded but her watery smile told a different story. Danny sighed. "I mean it Linda, its gone ok, when we get out of here I don't want to have to think about this again, ok? I screwed up not you ok? I have learnt my lesson, trying to be the hero nearly cost me my life, so when we leave here, we just move on and leave the last few weeks behind us, when we get out of this place ok?" Linda gave a more assured nod this time as Danny pulled her towards him, holding onto her and just enjoying her embrace. He longed to be able to kiss her again but for now just holding her was what he needed more than anything.

Doctor Shannon came to see Danny just before lunch and gave him the news he had been longing for. "Well Danny, you can go home as soon as I sort out your medication. You need to take the pain relief as and when you need it, the pain will ease as the days pass." Danny stood up and shook the Doctors hand. "Thanks Doc and thanks for taking so much care of my family while I was out of it, that was much appreciated." Doctor Shannon smiles. "Only doing what I would hope a Doctor would have done if it was my Ma that had been waiting for news on my old man…"

Danny couldn't wait to get out of the hospital and had his bag ready before Doctor Shannon had made the lift. Linda linking arms with him and leading him to her car.

As they made their way through the busy afternoon traffic Danny told Linda he needed to make a stop and she pulled into a side street. "I won't be long, just need to pick something up, I will be back in five minutes," Danny told a puzzled Linda, but before she could ask where Danny was going, he was out of the car and down the street.

Danny was sitting on the sofa when the boys came home from school. Sean running through the door first, so excited to have his Daddy back home at last. Jack came into the house after Sean and gave his Dad a hug but Danny couldn't help notice how quiet Jack was. After about ten minutes of enjoying his father's company Jack asked if he could go to his room as he needed to do his homework, Linda was taken aback at Jack wanting to leave his dad so soon but Danny winked at her to let him go.

While Sean was busy helping Linda set the table for the first family dinner in over a week, Danny headed upstairs to Jacks room. "Hey buddy," Danny smiled as he walked into Jacks room. "What's up pal?" Danny enquired as he sits on the end of Jacks bed. Jack was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling, no books or homework in sight. As Danny rubbed Jacks arm he noticed Jacks eyes were red. "Hey Jack, have you been crying?" "No…" Jack says trying to shake his head to avoid making eye contact with Danny. Sensing what was bothering Jack, Danny took hold of his son's hand. "You know if something is on your mind you can always talk to me about it Jack. You know that don't you?" Danny asked in a soft whisper. Not able to keep his emotions in cheek any longer, Jack's shoulders started to shake. "This is all my fault Daddy, you getting hurt. I know you weren't on a secret mission. I heard Uncle Jamie talking to Grandpa on the phone. If I hadn't pretended to be late from school that day you would never have meet that Hudson man and you wouldn't have got hurt. I'm so sorry Daddy."

Danny holds Jack to him and hugs him tight. He knew Jack had overheard Jamie, his father had told him on his last visit. "Son it was a silly thing you did about the phone but this has nothing to do with you. I got hurt because that man was bad and sometimes in my job I have to deal with bad men. He hurt his wife, that wasn't your fault son, none of this is your fault ok?"

Jack nodded his head as Danny wiped his son's eyes before he stepped out of the room and returning with a box. "Here I thought you might like this Champ.." Danny smiled as he handed Jack the box. Jacks face was a picture as he opened the box and found inside his very own cell phone.

Danny laughed as Jack hugged him. "Oh Dad you are the best!" "All our numbers are programmed in so if you are out with your friends and you need anything, you can just give us a call ok?" Danny tells Jack. "Ring your mom and ask her what time dinner will be ready," Danny tells him as they both start laughing.

They sneak downstairs as they hear Linda's cell ringing "Hello?" she answered to the unknown number. "Hi Mom, what time is dinner ready?" Linda tuned to see Jack and Danny standing behind her. "So that's what you needed to pick up today," Linda said linking Danny's arm.

He nodded to the sad look on Sean's face as he looked at his big brother with his new cell phone and he winked at Linda. "Hey Seano, catch…" he said tossing a bag to Sean who ripped it open with haste to find the latest video game inside. "Wow Daddy, thanks" Sean said, hugging his Daddy tight. As Linda went to finish dinner Danny pulled a box from his jacket pocket and left it on the worktop in the kitchen. As Linda reached over for a dish she sees it and smiles. "What's this, presents for everyone hey?" As she opens it she laughs at the brand new cell phone inside. Danny pulled her to him "Thought it was about time you had a phone that didn't die after one call!" Linda laughed as they both look into the lounge and see Sean already using his computer game and Jack trying to work out how to send Nicky a text message.

"Welcome home babe," Linda said as she hugged Danny to her, just glad that her husband was back safe with his loving family.

As Danny looks up he sees a date marked on the calendar that hung behind the kitchen door, it was circled for the following Saturday. Linda's mother was coming for dinner. "Oh you are kidding me?" Danny grins. "Do you think Doctor Shannon might readmit me for the day?" Linda frowned at Danny, but she knew he was only teasing her. She offered him a pre dinner glass of wine and toasts, "To new beginning!" Danny looked at the floor for a few moments, the events of the last few days flashing before him, before softly saying "Yeah babe, to new beginning."


End file.
